The Poetry Marathon

A cute enterprising couple

Decided to join lives

They got along very well

So their futures they combined.

They had a lavish ceremony

Where they said, “I do!”

They traveled home together

Lined up their varied shoes.

Each day was spent with lots of love

They talked, they laughed, they cried.

In blissful matrimony,

They took it all in stride.

As the years passed, the children came

The couple grew in sync

They watched with pride as their family spread

Welcoming each new link.

This cute enterprising couple

Learned in life there are some facts.

If you live and love together

Multiples lives you will impact.

1. You are pulling my leg, I might have a cow. I’d get bent out of shape, If I only knew how.
2. I think my mind is heading towards the moon with the cow! Oh no! I have reached the stars.
3. Looking around, I see the milky way, I hear the whoosh of a meteor fly by. I nibble the silky strands of starshine, tasting the lingering sweetness of dreams. Closing my eyes, I breathe in deep, the scent of space so clean. Peeking once more, I grin, as the man in the moon smiles at me and I feel his glee so I tickle him.
4. The sounds of the universe send blue waves trickling through, tasting of the ocean, the colours true.
5. Coming back to the Earth, I revel in the blessing that Mother Nature provides.
6. You know, maybe I won’t have a cow….I think it will be a duck. Ducks are more fun and they waddle.
7. Now that I think about it, ducks do not waddle…they paddle as they swim in the water so maybe I will just be a mermaid.
8. To be honest, I know diddlysquat about mermaids, but I can learn!
9. As the mermaid swims, they stir up the currents in the water and create hurricanes! I learned something new, but….is it true?
10. Behind me, I hear a four year old screaming “Poo poo! Poo poo!” A six year old replies, and I can hear his eye roll, “That’s a bad word! What the hell!?”
11. The logic of children befuddles me.
12. I shake my head, and my thoughts scatter through the world like random sparks.
13. I giggle and the moon changes colours like a rainbow.
14. Dee was amused by it all.
15. I shuffle my feet, walking towards the dawn, knowing my words will reach many eyes.
16. The gregarious clouds whiffle across the sky, flowing like rice in a bowl.
17. With a gentle demeanor I strike out at a rock, kicking it and rolling it with my nose.
18. Je t’aime!
19. The rock replies that it loves me too.
20. The cow and the duck frolic through the milky way, swinging on stars and teasing the moon. I acknowledge my words might be from a mermaids mouth, but I’ll get a reaction real soon.

Ten years ago, I still looked at the world

As a scary place, full of fearful surprises.

Ten years ago, I saw the world

With eyes that yearned to find some light.

Ten years ago, I began to believe

That there was goodness around

If I only took the time to look

Ten years ago, I began to envision

A world where I could be

Me.

In life, we travel many trails

In shoes

In boots

In our bare feet

We run and walk and sashay our way

To find the things that mean the most

With every step we take

We find ourselves ever closer

To the place that fills our hearts with joy

All roads lead to home.

Hello to all! My name is Deanna and I live near Calgary, Alberta Canada. This will be my 6th full marathon and it is something I look forward to every year. This year will be a bit of a challenge, though. In the last few years, the Marathon has been right as school gets out here. This year, it is right after school starts. That is always the most exhausting time for me. I work at a preschool/kindergarten for children with special needs. This year, if I am in a preschool class, it means that we will have our first group of children who have been born since the pandemic started. It will be an interesting one!

I have been writing in some way for as long as I can remember. Writing poetry helped get me through those turbulent teenage years. After high school, I joined a band and I was writing lyrics along with being the lead singer. Then I got married and had children. Now that they are grown, I have more time in some ways. With my job, I tend to compose rhyming songs to fit different situations with my kiddos. In saying that, I sometimes struggle during the marathon to be more “adult” instead of drifting towards “Baby Shark” remixes in my head!

When I am not working during the summer break, my husband and I like to travel. Our favourite place is the Normandy area in France. Recently, we went to Tokyo and I have a feeling I am going to be finding a lot of inspiration from that trip. The beauty of the country and the people were amazing!

To prepare for this marathon, I try to go through random prompts and work with them. The day before, I will gather my snacks like fruit, nuts, and other lighter things. I find that that helps a lot and keeps me going. If I try to eat a big meal, it makes me very tired. About hour 18, I will start to wilt. I sit in my chair and set an alarm on my phone so I can rest my eyes.

I look forward to catching up with those I have met in past years and meeting new people!

Good luck to all and see you soon!

Deanna N.

Hope…

It is the belief that keeps us going
It gives us strength to carry on
A small word with so much power
It can usher in the dawn.
It puts one foot in front of the other
Aiding you to cope
With anything life throws at you
Just remember to have

Hope…

Every year we have this one day
Twenty-four hours where we come to play
We write, we stress, we get little sleep
As we compose all our poems
Some silly, some deep.
We have camaraderie with our fellow mates
We keep each other busy, and finally awake.
With bleary eyes we write, and write some more
And finally as our fingers start to curl
We rejoice to be living in this brave new world.

A mothers hand as it touches her child
A partner’s smile as they look at you
A gentle stroke on a puppies head
All forms of tenderness.
 
Bringing a meal to sick friend in need
Giving a ride to someone you know
Grabbing groceries for an elderly acquaintance
All forms of tenderness.
 
Be human, be kind, be gentle
Be the friend you would want to have
Give unto others as you are able
Show that form of tenderness.

So
much
of our lives
can be pictured
from under an umbrella
almond in colour
and shielding
from the
rain.

(A Tanka)

Early in the morn
I grab toast, jam, and coffee
Later in the morn
I repeat with eggs added
It is second breakfast time.